Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the practice of removing or cutting the genitalia for non-medical reasons. The practice of genital mutilation is abundant in over a dozen countries in Africa, with Ethiopia, Egypt, and Nigeria being the top three countries having the highest percentage of girls and women experiencing genital mutilation.

Now, Nigeria is doing the right thing by banning the act of genital mutilation. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 was passed in the senate on May 5, and outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan enacted a ban on genital mutilation before he passed the torch to his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, on May 29, according to a report by Nigeria A Plus.

Women’s advocate groups rejoiced with the good news. However, they are also concerned that the banning of genital mutilation will not entirely eradicate the problem. The practice of genital mutilation has been around for more than a thousand years, and the act is deeply rooted in many cultures.